September Challenges - Jungle!

On my nails last week for #clairestelle8sept we had a very rare, very shy, magical and fantastical creature - Mr Blue, the blue neon spotted leopard who only lives in the very deepest part of the Jungle.
Mr Blue had heard all about the new Uber mat and the very famous Claire of #clairestelle8sept and suggested that we recreate his coat on my nails making very special decals using the equally magical Ubermat for Claire's Jungle prompt.
After a few false starts here they are - I used Vivid Lacquer VL010, Essence Stampy 002 and Virtuous Polish Deborah over Jacava Ormonde Gate and topped it with Barry M Matte top coat.

Well, I received my new Uber Mat, which is now available in the UK from She Sells Sea Shells with no risk of customs fees. It was dispatched so quickly, I was really pleased although then I had to pluck up the courage to use it. I'd heard so much about it, what if I couldn't get it to work?
Actually, it's perfect - does exactly what you can see in all the videos and I think I will enjoy trying it out over the coming weeks. I had a few duff starts making the reverse stamped decals, like using an actual base coat as the base, and using a very slow drying top coat, but I got there. I chose a pattern which I knew would be a bit flexible if I ripped or stretched the decal but as it happened it worked quite well. I still need to figure out how to get tidy edges but I am quite pleased with my first attempt.
I took a few pics of the mani with glossy top coat, but it looked a lot better with a matte finish.

Blue Leopard Nails

 

 

June Challenges - Matte / Monochromatic

Yesterday's #30daysofcolourchallenge was Matte / Monochromatic. I did get it done on time but I'm a bit behind on blogging.
Anyway, I decided I'd do for blue and chose 4 blues for this, China Glaze DJ Blue My Mind, Virtuous Polish Charity, Virtuous Polish Deborah, Virtuous Polish Temperance.
I started with a white base and added 2 coats of the neon blue China Glaze DJ Blue My Mind, not really a me colour on its own but great as a bright base.
My Apipila Super Plate B arrived yesterday so whatever I had planned to stamp was abandoned in favour of the newest plate, of course. I started with the swirl, I've seen so many lovely swirly manis done with tape - I know I'd make a mess of that but stamping is so much easier! So I stamped with Virtuous Polish Charity which is a lovely dark slightly tealy blue.
Next I chose a geometric zig - zaggy triangle pattern and stamped that with Virtuous Polish Deborah which is a pretty pastel/neon hybrid - again, not a colour I'd want to wear on its own but it stamps nicely and I loved the look of the angles over the swirls.
Then for my 4th colour I used Virtuous Polish Temperance, a dark blue, leaning very slightly violet and I went back to the swirl stamp again. I am not sure if I can still see all the blues but it was fun building this up.
Finally I added a coat of Avon Destination Peach which is a pretty matte top coat with a slight peachy shimmer, not always appropriate but OK here I think and better than my OPI.

Matte / Monochromatic - blue!!!

China Glaze DJ Blue My Mind

Virtuous Polish Charity and
Apipila Super Plate B

Virtuous Polish Charity, Virtuous Polish Deborah
and Apipila Super Plate B

Virtuous Polish Charity, Virtuous Polish Deborah,
Virtuous Polish Temperance, Apipila Super Plate B

 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

May Challenges - Purple / Dry Brush and Inspired by Another Artist

The #30daysofcolourchallenge for May 4th is Purple / Dry Brush.
For purple I have used OPI I'm Feeling Sashy, which has sat untried for far too long. It is a lovely creme polish in a dusky plum shade. This is a beautiful polish, almost neutral in tone and very wearable.
I did google dry brush and I am not sure I'd like it on me, but there aren't any rules on how you apply the dry brush so I decided to use it just to add some colour ready for the next challenge - that way, if I didn't like it I could just cover it up! I used Virtuous Polish Queen Ester to add some pastel lilac to my purple base and I am surprised how much I liked it- I think the blue lilac pastel shade went well with the redder OPI shade.
#clairestelle8may challenge for 5th May is "Inspired by another artist". I wasn't sure if this was intended to be a nail artist (who would I choose from all those talented ladies out there!) or just any artist but I have gone for Monet. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to art, I only know of a few artists but I do love Monet's waterlilies so that is my inspiration for the mani.
I have used Vivid Laqcuer VL 030 and Virtuous Polishes Miriam and Deborah to add some flowers, and then finally Virtuous Polish Rahab to add some greenery, using the same plate and an image which is the same pattern as the previous one but in outline only.
I love this Vivid Lacquer plate and the thing I like about the image I used first is the way it prints bands of flowers but leaves strips where the base colour shows through.
I am pretty pleased with the way this turned out. I am not claiming it looks anything like a Monet, but I like it anyway!

OPI I'm Feeling Sashy

OPI I'm Feeling Sashy and Virtuous Polish Queen Ester 

Virtuous Polish Miram, Deborah and Rahab,
Vivid Lacquer VL 030

An InLinkz Link-up

A2Z Series - Y is for You

This week the A2Z letter is Y for You, and in my mind that means "me" :)
So this one is a bit tongue in cheek as I've chosen China Glaze DJ Blue My Mind (my initials are DJ) and Virtuous Polish Deborah (my name, although I prefer Debbie), and combined the two Debbie polishes with a knitting stamp, so that's me then :)
The #30daysofcolourchallenge was Swatcher's Choice and I am the swatcher so I guess I can get away with combining the challenges.

I didn't think the 2 polishes were contrasting enough to stamp clearly - in my mind it was all perfect but then when I got them out I wasn't so sure, so I added some stripes with Lealac LLC-A and Essence Stampy 001 so that Deborah would stand out more, and I do like stripes :)
Then I stamped the knitting image from Messy Mansion MM40 with Virtuous Polish Deborah.
A bit on the bright side for me, but not bad - I am rather pleased with them :)

A2Z Series - Y is for You
China Glaze DJ Blue My Mind, Essence Stampy 001
 and Virtuous Polish Deborah, Lealac LLC-A and
Messy Mansion MM40

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

An InLinkz Link-up

April Challenges - Easter

I already did one Easter mani but I really wanted to do one which was not all about pastels - the colour of my new Cadillacquer inspired me to think of Fabergé eggs and this is what I came up with for #clairestelle8april.
Cadillacquer Saviour was sent me as an extra when I bought another Cadillacquer last week from a really nice lady - how sweet is that! It is a gorgeous polish but the weather wasn't good enough for good pictures so that will have to wait for another a day.
Anyway, this is what I did. Two coats of Cadillacquer Saviour, and then I stamped with one of the images on Pet'la Plate Golden Russian and Virtuous Polish Deborah -  a bright vibrant blue that brings to mind the colour of turquoise stone. I then used the same plate and a 2nd image, the same pattern but larger, and A England Virgin Queen.
I am really pleased with how these turned out.
I might well try a third layer of stamping tomorrow but for now they are staying as they are.

Pet'la Plate Golden Russian,Virtuous Polish Deborah
and A England Virgin Queen
#clairestelle8april

 

 

 

Pet'la Plate Golden Russian and
 Virtuous Polish Deborah